The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, DMII, nephropathy, prostate cancer, skin cancer, gallbladder condition, arthritis, and hypertension are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
The deciding factor: The VA etiological opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was inadequate as it solely relied on the absence of documented hearing loss during service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, diabetes mellitus type II (DMII), nephropathy, prostate cancer, skin cancer, gallbladder condition, arthritis, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2024
- Citation
- A24024813
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A24024813.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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